Church Militant or Church on pilgrimage?

[Franciscan]

Why have we dropped the militray metaphors in Catholic life?
For example in confirmation -the notion of being a soldier for Christ and the tap on the cheek have been replaced with the idea that it’s about the recipient “confirming” their own choice to be Catholic etc.

Are we not in a spiritual war?

I suppose the danger of using this king of language plays into the hands of the secularist attempt to link Christiantity with militant Islam:That the Christians are also Jihadists.(obviously it has no actual militia/terrorism in a physical sense). But i could see them painting this picture of the Church if Benedict or any notable Catholic called for an all out spiritual war.

Also…

What role do sacraments play in our call to fight the spiritual war as church militant?

 

[bpbasilphx]

Is there any conflict between “church militant” and “pilgrim church”?

They are two different names for different aspects of the same entity–the earthly part of the church.

 

[Brennan_Doherty]

Why have we dropped the militray metaphors in Catholic life?
For example in confirmation -the notion of being a soldier for Christ and the tap on the cheek have been replaced with the idea that it’s about the recipient “confirming” their own choice to be Catholic etc.

Are we not in a spiritual war?

I suppose the danger of using this king of language plays into the hands of the secularist attempt to link Christiantity with militant Islam:That the Christians are also Jihadists.(obviously it has no actual militia/terrorism in a physical sense). But i could see them painting this picture of the Church if Benedict or any notable Catholic called for an all out spiritual war.

Also…

What role do sacraments play in our call to fight the spiritual war as church militant?

I had the privilege of being confirmed in the Traditional rite for confirmation. That small “slap” on the cheek was one of the most meaningful parts of the rite, one I remember to this day. It said that one needs to be willing to suffer persecution, and even die for the Faith. Here’s hoping terms like “Church Militant” comes back into more widespread use. Because we are in a war against sin and the devil.